Swanage Railway General Discussion

Go faster stripes help too

 

Agree 100% that firebox first uphill is preferred. It becomes more of a balancing act when there is a summit involved but , in terms of the NYMR, chimney facing north is preferable, IMHO.

 

Of course is it uphill both ways down here. From a photographic point of view, (and being totally selfish now I am officially classed as "disabled") far more accessible locations.
Does make the watering way more difficult so I would not be expecting it to face Swanage on the return.

 

There's something in the back of my head saying there's a greater risk of priming for a loco running bunker first uphill than running chimney first uphill, but I guess for that to happen, the regulator valve would have to be nearer to the smokebox than the cab. Are there any locos where that is the case? Based on a random google a lot of locos seem to have the dome (where the regulator valve is often situated) fairly central in the boiler, I guess to try and counteract the effect a change in gradient would have on the risk of priming

 

There are plenty locos with smokebox regulators but the take off is either at the dome or over the firebox. Priming , as distinct from foaming, is a result of overfilling the boiler. If you are running uphill in reverse you have to avoid the temptation to run with a full glass and keep the water nearer the bottom nut, otherwise you are overfilling the boiler.

 

I heard the 20 screaming out of Swanage whilst I was scanning some photos.
Happened to glance at the Corfe webcam at the correct time.

 

Hi all, sorry for a nerdy questions/

At Swanage theres clearly a 'different' style platform face, preahps around a coach length on platform 1 and then extends to almost the start of the canopy on platofrm 2. Made of Breeze blocks rather than the classic nice purbeck stone.

Does anyone know the build date or the reason for this? Guessing it was an extension to the platforms but looking at old photos of the station I can't see the large slabs on the platform surface?

I think Corfe was also exdended by the herritage railway going from 4 to 5 coaches but that looks very similar and only the larger slabs on the platform surface itself is alittle differnt.

One thing I have noticed at corfe is the up platofrm as two lays of normal house brick? When the herritage railway came did they make the platofrm higher? Classic 1950s photos I cannot see these here and that platform looks very low

 

@Tom02 . Most of the original platform at Swanage was demolished after closure by BR. Only the part near the station building was left intact. The preservationists rebuilt the platform to its original length using concrete blocks, I believe in the late 1970s / early 1980s.

The demolition of the platform was actually the start of the intended demolition of the whole station. However luckily the council were persuaded to change their minds and let the Swanage Railway use it. Otherwise they would have had to build a new station by the Northbrook Road bridge.

 

Here is a view of Swanage station during its rebuilding , taken on 27/3/83. Its come a long way since then.


Peter